Variable-speed friction-gearing.



L. E. COWEY.

VARIABLE SPEED FRIGTION GEARING.

APPLICATION rILED 06124. 191s.

1,124, 1 l 1 Patented Jan. 5; 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@n f 72k /LML Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. E. GOWEY.

VARIABLE SPEED FRIGTION GEARING.

APPLIGATION FILED OUT. 4, 1913.

N ard E N w V5 'HIE NURRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTOLITHD.. WASHING TON. 11C

7 5f-fz 61515 ems, y f We Mag i? L. E. COWEY.

VARIABLE SPEED FRIGTION GBARING.

APPLIOATION FILED'OT. 4 1913.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60,. FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C4

L. E. COWEY.

VARIABLE SPEED PRIQTION GEARING. APPLICATION FILED OCT.4. 1913.

1,1 24, 1 l l Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

MW F

NORRIS PETERS co .DHCITCLLITHHA WASHING VON, D v

llliilllrtll llali"efllllld PATENT LEONARD EUGENE COWEY, OF Kill/V GAR-DEBE, lEGNGrLAND.

VAR-IABLESEEED FLECLIGN- GEARNG.

Application 'filed October 4, 15H3.

To all whom it may concern lie it lrnoivn that l, LEONARD EUGENE Confier, a subject of the Kinn* of Great Brit ain, residing' at il'ircher ldlorlzs, Station avenue, Kew Gardens, in the county of Surrey, lflngland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Variable- Speed FrictioneGearing, of which the following is a speciiication.

T his invention relates to an improved construction of frictional transmission gearL ino; 'for use with motor rehicles and more especially with light rehicles, oit the kind employing' a friction clutch of conical or disk type in which a sprinp' pressed member movable transversely with relation to the other member, so that the clutch drive, which is throufg'h the faces of the members, is more or less eccentric according to the speed desired.

lri'y invention provides several improved features in clutches oi this kind. According' to one il'eature the movable clutch member is spring pressed against the second niember in such a manner that the pressure eX- crted by the spring on the clutch surfaces is greater, the more the movable member is displaced, and therefore the more eccentric the driver movable member is arranged to be moved completely across the axis of' the second member and is provided With an annular clutch face adapted to meet the second clutch member at the .opposite side of its axis to give a reverse drive.

l may interpose betiveen the tivo clutch members a cone or dish carried by the movable member but free to turn upon and to move axially with relation to it. rllhis dislr has annular clutch faces and transmits the driving poiver in such a manner that any slip Whi ch may occur is taken betiveen it and the movable member, .vith which it is for all speeds in contact around the Whole circumference, the slip boina' thus taken up over the complete clutch surface While the eccentric driving' contact is alivays a rolling; one. llnclntchins; is eiiected by moving' the movable member, against the pressure of the clutch spi-ina', out of contact with the disk, which remains in Contact With the other member under the pressure of a special spring'.

is applied to a light motor vehicle the driving' clutch member is preferably on the engine shaft and has a conical clutch face,

Specification of Letters latent.

According' to another feature the Y lijatented Jan 5, 1915.

serial no. 793,430. i

The driven member may be on the Cardan shaft, through which the power is transmitted to the Wheel axle, and the said shaft may be moved laterally at the clutch end to change the clutch speed, a retaining device, preferably of raclt form, holding the clutch in position. @r the movable clutch member may be carried on an arm sliding` along,` and turning' around an aXis parallel With the clutch airis to 4sive the desired lateral displacement oi' the clutch7 in which case unclutching` may be eiilected by a lever device acting on a cam face so formed that the unclutching lever starts its operation from approximately the same point 'for all positions of the clutch.

ln order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect l Will noiv proceed to describe the same more 'fully with reference to the accomminvin,ar drawings in Which:-

llig'ure l is a longitudinal section through :i clutch in which the movable member is mounted on the end of the Cardan shaft. is a section through a modified construction of clutch, showing; it mounted upon the engine casing. Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section taken at right angles to Fig'. 2. Finn is a detail view of part or' the unclutching mechanism; and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively an elevation and a plan of change speed lever mechanism for use with the clutch.

A is the driving member of the clutch, shown slightly coned andr mounted on the end of the engine shaft B.

C is the movable driven member of conical or dished cross section, pressed into clutch position by the spring c.

D is the Cardan shaft either carrying or connected to the member C.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Fig. l, the driven member C is on the end of the Cardan shaft D, through which a the power is transmitted to the Wheel axle, and has an internally coned face of which a suitable Width at the periphery slightly' projects to form an annular clutch surface d adapted to meet any part of the conical g clutch face a of the first member A, which face a may be of leather or other suitable clutch material. To hold the end of the Cardan shaft (which is telescopic) and the driven clutch member C in driving connection in any position l employ a fixed abutment or bracket E having a rack face e,

engaging, inany one of a series of positions, a cross pin or stud f on a sleeve F mounted freely en the shaft D and pressing the shaft forward into clutch engaging position by means of the strong spring c acting through a ball thrust bearing 02. A separate ball bearing c3 may be used to support the shaft in the sleeve. To balance the support two brackets E are preferably employed, one on each side of the sleeve F, the latter having a pin au each side. The rack teeth are rounded, forming a series of semi-circular depressions receiving the pins, and a pair of forked arms G (of which one only is shown) operated by a change speed lever under the control of the driver, engage by the forlrs g the pins f and move them, with the sleeve F and shaft D, up or down the rack e. To allow of this movement an unclutching device is first operated to draw baclr he shaft and second clutch member. rlhis device is shown in the form of a ring lil encircling the end of the shaft D and pivoted at one side to a bracket on the sleeve. rFhe drawing shows merely the section of the ring, the method of pivoting being obvious. rlhis ring H acts on the clutch spring through a pair of oppositely placed rollers 7a, a sleeve ZL inside the sleeve F and the thrust bearing 02, and is operated by a Bowden wire connection from a foot or other lever actuated by the driver. Zhen the clutch is disconnected the end of the shaft D is free to move to any fresh position. The unclutching device is of course used independently of the change speed mechanism whenever the gear is to be disconnected. To keep the sleeve pins close against the racl-I e when the clutch is open they may be connected to the forked arms G by light springs Therack is made to slope at such an angle with relation to the angle of the clutch cone that as the clutch member C is moved farther from its normal position the clutch spring c is under greater compression and the clutch surfaces are therefore more firmly pressed together to compensate for the increasing leverage. l obtain a low speed reverse by giving` the shaft its maximum displacement, limited by a stop e on the raclr bracket E immediately beyond the last pin recess e2, which recess is used for reversing and is placed some distance beyond the one giving the lowest forward speed. rllhe clutch contact is then made through the rim of the driven, member, which rim is provided with a clutch surface c'L at such an angle to the forward driving surface that when the said member is moved to reversing position the said rim surface makes close vContact with the driving clutch surface on the other side of the axle, as shown in chain lines in the drawing.

lt will be seen that the number of speeds obtainable is limited only by the size of the sleeve cross pins and the recesses in the rack required to accommodate them, and the same simple mechanism is employed at all speeds. The forli g of the arm G is curved that it can exert pressure on the pin in the proper direction at any angle to which the arm is moved.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 2 to G the movable clutch member C is mounted upon the arm J carried on the conical end of the shaft j, which shaft can turn and slide within the fixed tubular shaft l mounted upon the engine casing B, along which it passes from end to end. The shaft j may be made to taper toward its front end (the end distant from the clutch) at which end is provided the spring c keeping the .movable clutch member C up to its worlr. rllhe spring c lies between the engine casing and a cup j acting through a ball thrust bearing jg on a cap jg at the end of a screwed pin j* which screws into the end of the shaft j. Locknuts [/'5 determine the distance to which the pin jt enters the end of the shaft j, the pressure of the spring c being regulated by adjusting the nuts j on the pin before screwing the latter into place. The spring and other parts are inclosed in a dust proof sheath Z) on the engine casing B. The tapering form of the shaft j allows the weight to be reduced without reducing the strength at the arm end, where the chief stresses have to be taken. The tapered end. is supported in the bush jG inside the end of the hollow shaft l.

The unclutching mechanism consists of an unclutching lever L, with pedal Z and pedal bar Z, pivoted on a pin Z13 carried adjustably by the bracket Z0 on the end of the fixed tubular shaft K, the lever L carrying a roller Z2 bearing against a scroll or cam piece j7 on the boss of the arm J. A tension spring Z3 keeps the roller Z2 up to the cam piece The bar Z passes through a slot in the dash board M and a notch Z* serves to hold the bar in unclutching position. The cam piece j? is so shaped as to allow the unclutching lever L to act from an approximately constant position in spite of the fact that the clutch arm J is pressed back by the conical clutch faces to an extent depending on the angular displacement of the arm and thus on the speed to which the gear is set. Owing to the conical form of the clutch the spring maintaining' the clutch in action is more compressed and thus more powerful the greater the displacement of the movable clutch member from the center and therefore the greater the ratio between the speeds of the driving and driven members.

A further feature of the apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 (which feature is also applicable to the arrangement shown in Fig.

l) relates to an improved construction ot the movable clutch member, which, among other advantages, prevents unequal or undue Wear of the clutch faces. lnstead of, as in the previous construction, allowing the annular clutch'surtace of the movable member to roll directly on the driving clutch suri'ace i interpose between the clutch members a disk or shallow cone N carried by the movable member C but free to turn upon it and to move axially with relation to it. The disk is supported by means of a long stem a passing through the clutch member and its hollow spindle c", to the end of which is iixed a tubular extension 0G connected through a universal joint Z to the Cardan shaft D. A spring n bears through a ball bearing a2 on the said stem a to maintain the disk N permanently against the driving clutch member. rhe disk has annular clutch faces a3, at near its periphery on each side, the face a3 having a narrovT oppositely sloping beveled clutch face a5 for reverse driving, as in the construction previously described, in which construction, however, the reverse clutch face is directly on the driven clutch member C. his member in the present construction has an annular clutch tace d bearing on the back iace a* of the disk. rlhe clutch tace d ot the driven member is thus in engagement over its whole surface ivith the face a* and any slip which may occur is taken by this face oiving to the fact that the clutch face n3 is in rolling and not in sliding contact With the surface of the driving member, so that the 'frictional resistance to slip is a maximum. The pressure on the tace n3 is moreover increased by the spring a. `When the clutch open the disk N remains in contact with the driving member' and turns freely with it, the unclutching action lifting the movable member C from the back of the disk, the spindle a of which can both slide and turn in the hollow spindle c5 and eX- tension c(5 by means of the sliding ball bearings a2 and a6. rhus, on closing the clutch again the slip is not taken by the driving member, which may have only a small surface at one side in action, but is between the full annular clutch surface d of the driven member C and the face n* of the disk. The tubular stem c5 of the member C is mounted in ball bearings l7'8 in a sleeve jg on the end or the arm J.

The movement of the clutch member C is eitiected by the change speed lever O shown in Figs. 5 and 6, moving in the quadrant o provided with the various speed notches 0 and the reverse notch 02, in any one of which a linger on the lever engages. The speeds given by the notches o increase with the distance of a notch from the reverse notch 02, the most distant notch 0 giving top speed with co-aXial position of the clutch members fi and C. To disengage the lever linger from a notch the lever itself may be sprung outivard, the lower end of the lever being flattened to alloiv ot slight bending. A stop prevents the lever being pulled out too tar. {rltops oX limit the stroke or' the lever in either direction and thus limit the movement of the clutch member C. The lower end of the lever 0 is connected through a universal joint to a rod oH1 which controls a double armed lever 05 (Fig. 3) mounted in a bracket p on the vehicle 'frame l?. rlhe second arm of this lever 05 connected by the curved connecting rod 0G to the brackets jl" on the arm J, so that the clutch member C may be moved to any position between the extremes shown in 'full and chain lines in l? ig. 3, the position in chain lines being that for reverse, in which the edge ot' the member C is displaced beyond the center ot' the driving men'iber rlhe le.'er G is connected at its lower end to a fixed point by the spring oT, which serves as a compensating spring to make the action of the lever easier in moving the clutch. member C away from the iixed clutch axis, the torce required being greater in this direction than in the opposite one.

I have referred to the movable clutch member as the driven one, but in some kinds of gearing it may be necessary to reverse the function ot the tivo clutch members as hereinbefore described. Such a change, hor.'- ever, does not alter the nature of the invention.

The conical form of the clutch shown in the drawings is one Which has been found convenient in practice but I do not limit mysell2 to any angle of cone, which angle may var v greatly Within practicable limits.

What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is zl. ln a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising tivo members of which one is movable transversely across the face ot the other, a spring adapted to press the said members together and means for increasing the pressure oi' the spring as the transverse displacement of the movable member increases.

ln a variable transmission gearing, a

friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face ot the other, a fixed bracket having a rack face, a support for the said movable versely across the clutch axis, a lixed bracket having recesses in its face adapted to engage the said support and hold the movable member in any one of a series of forward drive ing positions and an additional recess retaining the said member in reversing position.

4. In a variable transmission gea-ring, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, a clutch spring, a sleeve carrying the movable member and an nnclutching lever device mounted on the said sleeve and adapted to press back the clutch spring.

5. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, and an intermediate clutch member mounted to turn and slide with relation to the movable member and adapted to engage frictionally with both members.

6. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, an intermediate clutch member mounted freely, on the movable member and a spring maintaining contact between the intermediate and the stationary clutch members on unclutching.

7. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, a clutch disk between the two clutch members, a stem on the said disk, a hollow spindle on the movable member receiving the said stem, and a spring within the said spindle adapted to press the disk on the stationary clutch member.

8. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, an intermediate clutch member mounted to turn and slide withL relation to the movable member and adapted to engage frictionally with both members and provided with an annular clutch surface adapted to malte; contact-with the stationaryy member at they opposite side of the axis, to give a reverse drive.

9. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movabletransversely across the face of the other, a fixed shaft parallel to the clutch axis, an arm on the said shaft carrying the movable clutch member and adapted to turn and slide with relation to the said shaft and a spring acting axially on the arm topress the movable member into clutch contact.

l0. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising a pair of conical members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, a fixed shaft parallel to the clutch axis, a spring pressed arm on the said shaft carrying the movable conical member, an unclutching device and a cam piece belonging to the said arm and acted on by the unclutching device, so formed that the unclntching device starts its operation from approximately the same point for all positions of the clutch.

11. In a variable transmission gearing, a friction clutch comprising two members of which one is movable transversely across the face of the other, an engine driving the stationary member, a fixed hollow shaft mounted on the engine casing parallel to the clutch axis, an arm carrying the movable clutch member, a spindle carrying the said arm and passing through the fixed hollow shaft within which it is free to turn and slide and a spring` between the ends of the said shaft and spindle adapted to maintain the spindle. arm and movable clutch member in clutch position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEoNARn EUGENE 'oowEvI IVitnesses J. I. IRELAND, W. J. BARRETT.

Gopes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

